3of4"For most of us in hip-hop, we're not big on telling each other no," Bun said. Many artists, such as Riff Raff, agreed to be part of the project.Photo: Michael Paulsen, Staff

4of4Shea Serrano, a local music writer and teacher, is the creator of "Bun B's Coloring and Activity Book."Photo: Larami Serrano

It's gotta be a first - for rap and for coloring.

Bernard "Bun B" Freeman, Houston's high-profile rapper and Rice University instructor, is releasing a new project:

"Bun B's Rap Coloring and Activity Book."

Conceived and drawn by local teacher and music critic Shea Serrano, blessed and birthed by Bun B and his vast rap connections, the book is for discerning adults to share with kids.

"We would like it to be a part of the family experience of hip-hop," said Bun B, 40, who dropped by the Chronicle photo studio on a recent Thursday after his religion and hip-hop culture class at Rice.

"Maybe you're looking for some common ground with a kid. This could be used in an ice-breaking situation. It kind of makes the adult look a little cooler to the kid."

Bun B brought his own copy of the book to the photo shoot, with pages already colored by his granddaughter, Taylor, who turns 5 on Halloween. ("It was awkward the night of her birth," the rapper said, "with grown people in various states of dress from candy strolls and whatnot.")

Other rappers who appear in the book, which will be released Sept. 17, are Queen Latifah, Talib Kweli, Ice-T, Common, Wiz Khalifa, Ludacris, LL Cool J, Questlove and many more.

Getting permission from all the artists was challenging.

"For most of us in hip-hop, we're not big on telling each other no," Bun said, "but it really came down to the wire on a few. Rick Ross might have been the hardest to peg down, just in terms of his schedule. Drake took awhile. Some people were not available - like Tech N9ne - because they tour so heavy."

The idea for the book began germinating a few years ago, after Serrano interviewed Bun about a new song with a Pimp C verse. The late Chad "Pimp C" Butler and Bun B, teenage friends from Port Arthur, found fame as rap duo Underground Kingz (UGK).

"We did an interview one day and I was asking him about the new song," said Serrano, who teaches science to English as a Second Language students at Stevenson Middle School. "When the article went up, I was at school and I checked my messages. There was one from Bun saying he wanted to do a book and let's get some lunch."

At first they thought about writing a hip-hop survival guide, an idea they kicked around for six months.

"But we weren't coming up with anything I felt was strong and essential," said Serrano, father of 6-year-old twin boys and a 9-month-old boy. "Then one day I was coloring with the boys. I was kind of bored, so I started drawing pictures of local rappers. I posted them on Twitter and they got a good response."

Serrano, who says he inherited his artistic talent from his dad, told Bun about the pictures and sent him a few from his cellphone. Bun liked them. Then Serrano downloaded Adobe Illustrator - the Creative Cloud version, which cost $20 a month with his teacher's discount - and learned how to use it.

More Information

Bun B and Shea Serrano appearance

Cactus Music, 2110 Portsmouth, is hosting a coloring contest in honor of "Bun B's Rap Coloring and Activity Book." Coloring sheets are available now at the store. On Sept. 21 from 1-2 p.m., Bun B will judge the contest and winners will get a portrait drawn of them with Bun. Information: 713-526-9272 or cactusmusictx.com.

Bun B on hip-hop

"Hip-hop is much different than rap. What most people see and hear is rap music. Hip hop was meant to show growth, wisdom, maturity, education, inspiration, all these types of things. Whenever you hear a rap song that doesn't encompass one or all of those, it's just a rap song. It's not hip-hop."

'Bun B's Rap Coloring and Activity Book'

By Shea Serrano and Bun B

Abrams Image, 48 pp., $12.95

Bun B on hip-hop

"Hip-hop is much different than rap. What most people see and hear is rap music. Hip-hop was meant to show growth, wisdom, maturity, education, inspiration, all these types of things. Whenever you hear a rap song that doesn't encompass one or all of those, it's just a rap song. It's not hip-hop."

'Bun B's Rap Coloring and Activity Book'

By Shea Serrano and Bun B

Abrams Image, 48 pp., $12.95

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Last October, he posted several drawings on Tumblr. Within a week, they went viral and by November, Abrams Image was on board to publish the book, which has all new drawings and activities that are more family friendly than the early versions on Tumblr.

"No curse words or naked ladies or anything like that," Serrano said.

Most of the activities are inspired by the personality or look of the rapper they feature.

"There's a word search puzzle with a rapper named E-40, who's known for his slang," Serrano, 32, said. "He actually helped me do the puzzle."

For rapper Joe Budden, Serrano thought it would be funny to do a "Build-A-Bear" thing, except make it Build-A-Budden.

And that iconic image of Tupac with a bandanna tied around his head? Serrano drew it, minus the face.

"I left the face off so you can draw your own face wearing Tupac's bandanna," he said.

Beyond promoting the "Bun B's Rap Coloring and Activity Book," Bun B has been busy finishing up a compilation album, starting work on a solo album and preparing lectures for the Rice class, which he co-teaches with Anthony King.

"It's intense," he said, of the class. "It would have been easy for me to teach a course in the music department, but this course is in the humanities department, so I can't just lean on hip-hop. I have to open myself up to ideas and different ways of looking at religion, at faith and spirituality. So I get to learn as well as the students."

August was particularly tough for the rapper because Weslyn "Mama Wes" Monroe, mother of Pimp C and general manager of UGK, succumbed to cancer. Mama Wes was a second mother to Bun and a handful of other rappers.

"Pimp C was an only child, so for her, we were her babies," Bun said. "Lucky for her, she had adopted so many. 2 Chainz, one of the biggest artists in the world right now, literally left his tour, jumped in the car and drove all the way down and made it to see her maybe a few hours before she passed away."

Serrano, who's teaching, writing and coaching sports when he isn't promoting the book, admits to being "super nervous" about how it will be received, but at the same time feels "just very proud and thankful."

In the meantime, he said, he's looking forward to the book's video trailer, to be released sometime this week - a moody one-minute feature that's "the complete opposite of a coloring book."

Maggie Galehouse is the Houston Chronicle's book editor. She grew up in New England and earned a Ph.D. in English at Temple University in Philadelphia, Penn. An award-winning reporter, Galehouse has covered education, crime, business and features for a handful of newspapers.

Occasionally, Maggie can be heard on NPR discussing books. Her book reviews have appeared in the New York Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Houston Chronicle.

Galehouse lives south of Houston with her photographer husband and their young son, who enjoys "Encyclopedia Brown" mysteries. She writes the Bookish blog for the Chronicle.